Method for superimposing webs of cloth and the like



Oct. 30, 1956 P. MEINKE 2,768,824

METHOD FOR SUPERIMPOSING WEBS OF CLOTH AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 17, 1953 2 Sheets-She et 1 .[mzenton AGE N PAUL. NEINKE.

Filed Feb. 17, 1953 P. MEINKE 2,768,824

METHOD FOR SUPERIMPOSING WEBS OF CLOTH AND-THEI LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 o INVENTOR PA (4L ME/N/(E BY mum 4% Q AGENTS METHQD FOR SUPERHVIPOSING WEBS OF CLOTH AND THE LIKE Paul Meinkc, Hamburg, Germany Application February 17, 1953, Serial No. 337,397

Ciaims priority, application Germany February 19, 1952 3 Claims. (Cl. 270-30) The invention relates to a method for laying webs of cloth.

In the clothing industry, for producing blanks for suits or the like, a plurality of lengths of cloth are placed one above the other on a supporting table and the separate blanks are cut out from these lengths of cloth, usually by means of mechanically operated tools. Especially when woolen fabrics or other rough cloths are involved, it is difficult to lay the separate lengths of cloth one above the other without creases, because the cloths tend to stick. The superimposition of lengths of cloth is therefore a difficult operation which has to be carried out carefully and which takes up a considerable amount of time, since in practice individual sections of the lengths being laid at the time must first be lifted and then carefully laid smoothly on the length underneath.

This disadvantage has been recognised and in particular mechanical devices have been developed by which the cloth unwound from a bale is arranged in layers in zigzag form on a table of considerable length. The bale of cloth is arranged in a carriage which is adapted to be moved backwards and forwards longitudinally above the table and this carriage delivers a layer of cloth'during each backward movement and each forward movement. The carriage has been made vertically adjustable in order to adapt it to the height of the uppermost length of cioth and of the carriage. The use of a special carriage movable backwards and forwards over the supporting table necessitates a disproportionately heavy construction.

The main object of the present invention is to simplify the laying of lengths of cloth, more especially cloth with a roughened surface having a high frictional characteristic, on tables and more especially to save time in the positioning of the cloth.

A further object of the invention consists in providing simple devices by means of which it is possible to dispense with the separate carriages carrying the bales and with which the bales are unwound from the side, especially from the end, and positioned on the table.

Finally, an object of the invention is to ensure a rapid superimposition of a plurality of lengths of cloth on a table by winding these lengths of cloth as opposed to laying them.

The invention is based on the idea that in a method for stacking more especially rough lengths of cloth, a web of a smooth material, preferably a synthetic material, and especially a plastic foil, for example, the product known under the registered trademark lgelit (polyvinylchloride-foil), is arranged beneath a cloth length which is to be laid, a length of cloth is laid on the said material and then the intermediate web of smooth material is withdrawn.

According to a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the cloth web and the web of smooth material are simultaneously laid and thereafter the web of smooth material is removed, it being possible with advantage to operate from the narrow end of the table.

" nited States Patent The method according to the invention is also adapted to be modified in such manner that with the movement of carrying away the web of smooth material between two deposited lengths of cloth, a new web of smooth material with a length of cloth disposed above it is drawn across and in this manner an alternate lane of lengths of cloth is carried out from two sides of the table.

The invention is also directed to arrangements for carrying into effect the method according to the invention. One such arrangement consists, in accordance with a preferred embodiment, of a portable frame for receiving the webs of the smooth material and an interchangeable mounting for the balesof cloth, which can be driven mechanically or by hand. The arrangement may have associated with it a second frame which serves as a drawing arrangement in order to draw a web of smooth material and a length of cloth simultaneously over the table, while the web of smooth material between the uppermost layer of cloth and the layer beneath is withdrawn by mechanical means or under manual control.

One embodiment of an arrangement according to the invention is shown in conjunction with a supporting table in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a supporting table with the associated devices,

Figure 2 is an clevational view of a frame which is arranged at the left end of the table for drawing-out a web of cloth and a web of smooth material, while Figure 3 is an end view of the frame for accommodating a bale of cloth and the web of smooth material.

Figure 4 illustrates the apparatus of Figures 1-3 but modified for alternate operation from the left and right ends of the table.

Referring to Figure 1, 4 represents a supporting table of normal construction on which is laid at 5 a plurality of lengths of cloth from which blanks are to be produced. 6 indicates generally a frame which is preferably portable -.nd which comprises in each o its side walls a hook-like mounting 8 for a bale of cloth which for this purpose is provided with an interchangeable support which is indicated generally at 10. As will be seen more particularly from Figure 3, this support consists of a flat supporting member which is rounded off at both ends at 11 and which is provided with supporting shafts 12 which are introduced into the supporting elements 8, 8.

At its upper end, the frame 7 carries a roller 14 in bearings 13, said roller having wound thereon a web of the smooth synthetic material, for example a material known as Igelit.

A further shaft 18 which carries a winding spool 19 later to be described is driven from the supporting-shaft 15 of the roller 14 by means of a gear 16 secured on this shaft 15 and meshing with a gear 17 on the shaft 18. The shaft 15 can either be manually driven, or as indicated diagrammatically at 20, it may be mechanically driven. For this purpose, a driving shaft is indicated at 21, which, by means of bevel Wheels (not shown), has a driving connection with the shaft 15 and which, for example, can be driven by an electric motor indicated diagrammatically at 22.

Provided at the other end of the supporting table 4 is a frame which is indicated generally at 25 (Figure 2) and which may also be constructed so as to be portable. This frame carries a shaft 26 on which is arranged a winding spool 27. Mounted on the shaft 26 is a fixed pulley 28 and a loose pulley 29 which are connected by a belt 30 or the like with an electric motor 31 which is mounted on the frame 25. An engaging and disengaging clutch device is also provided and is indicated generally at 32.

Wound on to the spool 19 and on to the spool 27 is a band, cord or belt 33, which co-operates with a clamping member or a holder indicated generally at 34 for conveying the lengths of cloth.

The apparatus according to the invention operates as follows:

By means of the interchangeable support member 10, 11, 12, a bale of cloth 9 is placed in the supports 8 provided in the frame 6 and the end of the web of cloth is led over a slide or roller track (not shown) as far as the end of the supporting table 4. At the same time, the end of a web of smooth material (indicated at 36) is drawn out some distance from its supporting roller 14 and is clamped together with the end of the web of material by means of the holder 34 which is secured to the cord 33 provided on the frame 25. By engaging the clutch 32, the shaft 26 and thus the winding spool 27 are rotated by means of the belt drive 30, 28, so that the cord 33 is wound on to the spool 27 and at the same time, by means of the holder device 34, a length of cloth from the bale 9 and the web 36 of smooth material disposed there-beneath is drawn towards the left and over the length of cloth last laid on the table. At the end of the movement towards the left, and after the holder 34 has been released, the length of cloth last deposited is secured at 37, for example weighted down, and the drive at the frame 6 is switched on so that the web 36 of smooth material is wound on to its roller again by the motor 22, through the shaft 21 and the toothed wheels which are provided. Thus, the smooth material between the cloth length last deposited and the length beneath the latter, is withdrawn. At the same time, the cord or the like previously unwound from the winding spool 19, is wound back on to the spool again.

At the right end, the cloth web is severed at 38 and the above described operation is repeated until the required number of lengths of cloth has been laid.

As already stated above, the possibility is also provided of allowing the arrangement to operate alternately by the frame 6 with the associated parts being arranged both at the right and the left ends of the supporting table (Figure 4). With this arrangement, after a web of cloth and a web of smooth material have been drawn towards the left in the manner above described, a web of cloth disposed on the left-hand frame 6 and a web of smooth material are secured to the cord 33 or the like by means of a holder and then, with backward running of the gearing on the right-hand frame 6, both the web of smooth material is withdrawn and wound on to its shaft 14 and also a web of smooth material disposed on the left is drawn together with a length of cloth towards the right over the length of cloth which was last laid,

the cord 33 or the like being wound onto the right-hand winding spool 27. In this manner, an alternate operation of the arrangement according to the invention is possible.

More especially thermo-plastic synthetic materials (synthetic resin materials) can be used as a web of smooth material, since they have proved to be best suitable for the smooth winding of the cloth.

I claim:

1. Method of superimposing webs of cloth of roughened surface having a high frictional characteristic on a support such as a table, comprising the steps of laying a web of said cloth on the table, then simultaneously withdrawing a web of smooth material, more especially of thermoplastic synthetic material, and a web of said cloth from suitable rollers and laying them on the first mentioned web of said cloth, the web of smooth material being positioned beneath the web of said cloth, withdrawing the web of smooth material, severing the back end of the web of cloth and drawing the web of smooth material and another layer of said cloth above the webs of said cloth already laid and continuing this procedure until the desired pile of layers of said cloth has been obtained.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that simultaneously with the removal of the web of smooth material, a web of smooth material with a web of said cloth disposed above it are drawn from the other side.

3. Method of laying lengths of cloth of roughened surface having a high frictional characteristic one upon another, comprising the steps of drawing across a support ing table, from one end thereof, a length of said cloth and a corresponding length of smooth synthetic plastic material located beneath said cloth, withdrawing the length of smooth material and simultaneously drawing from the other end of said supporting table, a length of smooth material and a length of said cloth disposed over it so as to overlie the previously laid length of said cloth, Withdrawing to said other end of the supporting table the last-mentioned length of smooth material, severing the back ends of the layers of said cloth already laid, and repeating the steps according to the required number of lengths of said cloth to be laid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,111,668 Miehle Sept. 22, 1914 1,389,906 Segal Sept. 6, 1921 1,475,802 Dorman Nov. 27, 1923 1,803,033 Orr Apr. 28, 1931 2,088,686 Blanchard Aug. 3, 1937 

